Protest
Against Brutal Crackdowns and Irresponsible Investments in BurmaStop the Human Cost of Burma's Military greed and
Irresponsible Foreign Investments!

Come
join the protest to denounce the brutal crackdown against peaceful protesters
and ask for the cancellation of the Letpadaung mine. Let’s highlight the human
cost of greedy, irresponsible projects and investments in Burma.

What:
Protest at the Chinese Consulate to denounce the violent crackdown against the
peaceful protester at the Letpadaung mine trying to safeguard their land, way of
life, health and heritage. And this is only one of many similarly controversial
and mega projects in Burma and we must stop this widespread land grabbing,
resource looting backed by the military and their cronies.

Background:
A peaceful protest has been crackdown last Thursday violently and 70 Buddhist
monks and five laypersons were injured with severe burns, and that, by Saturday,
26 monks were still receiving medical treatment at the hospital.

The mine is a joint venture
between China’s Wanbao Mining Copper Ltd. and the military-owned Union of
Myanmar Economic Holdings Ltd (UMEH)

The Chinese firm’s involvement
also raised serious concerns as Wan Bao is a subsidiary of the North Industries
Corporation, China’s main weapons manufacturer.

Daw Aung San Suu Kyi has
condemned the violent crackdown, requested the Gov’t Apology for it and also
heading the investigation committee. She stated that people had the right to ask
why authorities cracked down so harshly on the nonviolent protesters who had
occupied the nearby Letpadaung copper mine for 11 days.

For many
years [local villagers] have had health problems from air, soil, and water
contamination they believe are the result of mining processes. Many at the old
mine sites also allege their land was confiscated without compensation. More
than 7,800 acres of land from 26 villages under the shadow of the Letpadaung
mountain range have been seized to make way for the Chinese-backed project since
it began last year.

Local
villagers have been staging protests to demand its closure, citing environmental
destruction, forced relocations and illegal land confiscation.

The crackdown showed once again
that the government, which claims to have turned over a new leaf and to listen
to public opinion, is only really protecting its own interests and those of
foreign investors.

“Six key organizers of
supporting protests in Rangoon were also arrested.

The United States also voiced
concern Friday over the “forcible eviction” of peaceful protesters.

Many in Burma remain suspicious
of the military and see China as an aggressive and exploitive investor that
helped support its rule. The association between the two firms raised alarm
bells among activists who asked for the contract to be made accountable to the
public.

Last week, Aung Min, a minister
attached to the Burmese President’s Office, visited the area and met local
people protesting the project and publicly admitted, “We are afraid of China… If
China asks for compensation, even the Myitsone Dam shutdown would cost US $3
billion.”

We
must ensure this brutal crackdown not be repeated again, stop the irresponsible
investments and stop the military and their cronies from selling the country's
precious natural resource for their own benefits.